Cylinder-Shaped Bone Graft for Scaphoid Nonunion

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Hand surgery
• Bone grafting techniques

Background:

• Scaphoid nonunion is commonly treated with wedge-shaped bone grafts and Herbert screws.
• Previous studies using cylinder-shaped grafts for scaphoid nonunion did not assess preoperative wrist function or humpback deformity correction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare preoperative wrist functions with final follow-up outcomes in scaphoid nonunion cases treated with cylinder-shaped bone grafts.
• To evaluate the correction of humpback deformity in scaphoid nonunion using this technique.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 12 patients (12 wrists) with scaphoid nonunion from 2008 to 2015.
• Cylinder-shaped bone grafts harvested from the iliac crest using a novel trephine and fixed with a Herbert screw.
• Assessment of preoperative and final follow-up wrist functions, including range of motion and deformity evaluation.

Main Results:

• Bone graft union was achieved in 11 out of 12 scaphoid nonunion cases.
• Significant improvement in wrist functions was observed at final follow-up, excluding the range of wrist motion.
• Humpback deformity correction was implicitly evaluated through functional outcome improvements.

Conclusions:

• Cylinder-shaped bone grafts fixed with Herbert screws are effective in treating scaphoid nonunion.
• This technique leads to significant improvements in wrist function following surgery for scaphoid nonunion.